Ikwelle of Ibusa Kingdom
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]reatness is a property for which no man can receive credit too soon; it must be possessed long before it is acknowledged.”When one of the world’s greatest thinkers, Ralph Waldo Emerson handed down the above words of wisdom, those he had in mind were certainly the likes of High Chief Celestine Okafor, the 12th Ikwele Of Isu Kingdom! .
For the trail-blazing traditional mogul from Ibusa, Delta State, it is certainly impossible to gloss over his attributes for greatness.He is the embodiment of cerebral articulation, the essence of unparalleled philanthropy,
the epitome of intellection and breathtaking simplicity, the personification of undiluted humanness, the perfect example of traditional leadership symbolism, the paragon of idealism, the soul of humanity, the heart of warrior, a perfect gentleman. His Eminence,High Chief Celestine Okafor is a man of qualities, he is a father, grassroot man and a Traditional Juggernaut,He is a grassroot mobilizer and a lover of Ibusa tradition.
His Eminence, High Chief Celestine Okafor as the 12th Ikwele Of Isu Kingdom,he means different things to different people; to his wife and children, he is a loving husband and a kind daddy, while to us his admirers he is known as the Digital traditional Strategist but his detractors always erroneously see him as an Obstacle because of his rising profile and acceptance by the grassroots.
His Eminence, High Chief Celestine Okafor is not only the Pride of Ibusa Kindom but also the Pride of the People of
Oshimili North for whom he had waged countless traditional wars for and won virtually all, just like the Greek
mythological Odyssey who fought and won difficult battles in History, the grassroots traditional mobilizer of our time also fought and won many battles even those considered as herculean in nature for his people.He occupies one of the most important thrones in Igbuzo Kingdom but doesn’t make a fuss of it.High Chief Celestine Okafor is officially the spiritual leader and custodian of Igbuzo. He is the only living Igbuzo man that has the ears of the gods and the ancestors even as he relays the messages of our gods to the living.
As his greetings (Owouta….means The one who wages the arrows) connotes, he has the sole responsibility of protecting Igbuzo and her children from the negative spiritual arrows fired at the town and her people – a duty he performs every second of the day!At the beginning of every year, the Ikwelle of Igbuzo must cleanse the land from every sacrilege, taboo and sins through the “ICHU EKWENSU” festival and this festival is usually preceded by the Ikwelle spending nights in the thick forests of Igbuzo as he battles Satan and all his evil spirits. At the completion of this spiritual exercise, the stage is set for the cleansing of the land and every sons and daughters of Igbuzo roll out the drum to queue behind the eyes of the gods in cleansing the land.
The Ikwelle institution is the engine room of Ibusa traditional system ,Ikwelle of Ibusa is the only man who initiates the Warlords in the town before the the senior diopka and Obuzor chalks any of the warlords – Odogwu Of Igbuzo, Iyase Of Igbuzo and the Uwolo Of Igbuzo, the occupant-to-be must pass through the spiritual powers and endorsement of Ikwelle who prepares him for the onerous task ahead.
Ikwelle of Ibusa is not a political position nor influenced by position in the society but strictly a spiritual affair and
the umbilical cord from the first Ikwelle to the recent Ikwelle has remained unbroken. Let us not forget that
the Ikwelle Institution is the only seat in Igbuzo that can not be politicized, because Ikwelle Igbozu is “god among men” As the 12th Ikwelle of Ibusa , You have really voiced out and fought for your people’s common goals,You remains the only traditional authority who knows the plight, feelings and desires of his People and Youths. High Chief Celestine Okafor has achieved in Ibusa and he has been able to touch the lives of the Youths like never before and also proved himself a force to reckon with among frontline players of Ibusa traditional system.
Indeed the birthday celebration of this digital traditional warlord of Ibusa of our time had been useful and Resourceful for his service to humanity.Therefore today let me on behalf of the Grassroots Publishers join the rest of my beloved Ibusa kingdom,Oshimili North LGA, Deltans and Nigerians at large to Celebrate our traditional iconoclastic Ikwelle of Igbuzo, to thank Almighty God for your life and to pray that he continues to bless you with robust health and imbue you with his continued guidance, protection, and enduring provision.Your reign shall bring prosperity and peace to Ibusa and your family.
Happy birthday to the regent,Ikwelle of Ibuzor kingdom, a great lover of our tradition.
Owouta! Owouta!! Owouta!!!
By: Ike Abiagom